Motor-car.



C. BLUM.

MOTOR CAR,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1915.

mwmmm mm Apr. 23,1918.

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Application filed November '25 191.6. fierial No. 133,68.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BLUM, a citizen of the Republic of France,residing at Suresnes, Rue de Longchamps, (Seine Department,) in theRepublic of France, engineer, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Motor-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improvement of the driving bridgeof motorcars.

In the case of transmission of motive power to the driving wheels bymeans of lateral universal joints, with a suspended gear-box, it hasbeen noticed that the universal joints, while readily absorbing changesin the angles between shaft and gearing, as far as they are due tojolting, will not so well take up those due to changes in the load ofthe car.

This inconvenience has principally been noticed in trucks for conveyinggoods, where the weight of the load is subject to most importantchanges. It is therefore desirable to retain in a static state (orcondition) of the truck, whatever may be its load, the lateral couplingshafts in a horizontal or sub stantially horizontal plane.

This result is realized, according to the present invention, byconnecting the gear box to the frame of the truck through the medium ofa device permitting of regulating the vertical distance between bothparts.

This device may either be acted upon antomatically under the influenceof the load, viz. proportionally to the lowering, of the frame withreference to the hind axle, or it may be under the positive control ofdriver.

In the accompanying drawing are shown two examples embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 1 is a back-side view of a motor-car provided with means forautomatically regulating the distance of the differential gearing fromthe frame of the car, so as to keep the coupling shafts substantiallyhorizontal.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a motor-car provided withregulating means controlled by the driver.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, 3 is the frame of the motor-car, which isbearing in the usual manner upon the axle 4 through the medium ofsprings (which are not shown in the drawing). The differential gearing 5is fitted to drive in a well known manner both of the hind wheels 6 bymeans of a coupling comprising a shaft 7, and two uni versal joints 8.

According to the present invention the differential gearing is connectedto the frame through the medium of two levers 9, one end of each leverbeing hinged to a j ournal 10 which is fixed upon the difierentialgearing, the opposite end of each being hinged to a journal 11 which issuspended on the frame by means of a depending leg 12. These levers areacted upon automatically, being journaled, intermediately between theirends, upon journals 13 supported on the axle 4: by means of brackets14:, in such a way that when a heavier load lowers the frame by bendingthe suspension springs,

- the levers will swing around the journals 13 and will raise thedifferential gearing. The journals 13 are, moreover, positioned in sucha way that the vertical motions of the differential gearing will be verysmall as compared to those of the frame, so that the connecting shaftswill remain in a substantially horizontal position, whatever may be theweight of the load on the car.

Elastic means may be provided, if necessary, between the levers and theparts of the car to which they are connected.

In the case of Fig. 2, the differential gearing 5 is connected to theframe 3 by means of a bell crank lever 15 which is journaled upon abracket 16 fixed upon the frame, one end of said lever being hinged tothe differential gearing as in 17, while the opposite end is hinged at18 to a nut 19 which the driver may shift by turning a screw 20. Thelatter is rotatably mounted in a swinging block 21 which is connected totheframe as in 22, and it is provided with a handle 23.

It will be understood that these two embodiments of the invention aredescribed only as examples.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat what I claim is: j

1. In a motor vehicle comprising a frame, hind-wheels, a hind-axle, adifi'erential gearing and two universal joints with shafts connectingsaid wheels to the differential be'kept in a sn bstantially horizontalposi tion Whatever may be the lowering of the frame under the influenceof the load.

2. In a motor vehicle the combination of a .frame,'hind-Wheels, ahind-axle, a differ ential gear, tWo universal joints connecting i saidWheels tothc differential gear, and two levers, the inner end of each ofthese levers bein'ghinged to the differential gear, the 10 outside endbeing movably connected to the 'frame, and an intermediate point of eachlever being fulcrumed upon the axle.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses,

CHARLES BLUM.

i Copies of this :patentmay be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

